Supreme Court Considering Case Over Donor Limits

The Supreme Court has decided to hear a case which could eradicate the limit individual donors can give to candidates they favor.

The case is McCutcheon v. FEC, in which Alabama businessman Shaun McCutcheon and the Republican National Committee are fighting against the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, commonly known as McCain-Feingold act. The law limits individuals’ donations to a total of $2,600 to a single candidate, $48,600 in donations to federal candidates, and national party committees’ contributions of $74,600 every two years.

advertisement

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of donor limits in Buckley v. Valeo in 1976 because the Court felt that political corruption would increase as donations increased. But donor limits have left the two major parties beholden to super PACs and leaves candidates who are not independently wealthy at a distinct disadvantage.